Type of Intervention: New Tool / Service / Body, Specific Action
Sectors Involved: Health, General Public
Intervention Categories: Social and physical distancing measures; Gatherings, businesses, and services; Special populations; Legal and policy; New initiatives
Level of Jurisdiction: Saskatchewan
Lead People/Agency:
Chief Medical Health Officer of Saskatchewan: Dr. Saqib Shahab
Government of Saskatchewan
Overview: Additional measures against COVID-19 have been announced by the Government of Saskatchewan. This includes an order made by The Chief Medical Health Officer of Saskatchewan in accordance with Section 45 of the Public Health Act:
– Visitors to long term care homes, hospitals, personal care homes and group homes have been restricted to essential visitors.
– Faith-based organizations are no longer exempt from the order prohibiting gatherings of over 250 people in any one room.
In addition, a new COVID-19 self-assessment tool has been launched by the Government of Saskatchewan so that Saskatchewan residents may determine if they should be tested for COVID-19.
Full details here: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2020/march/16/further-measures-for-covid-19-march-16
Other links: 1 2
Type of Justification: Perception of an increased threat
Evidence/Justification: In the document outlining the public health order by the Chief Medical Health Officer of Saskatchewan (link in “additional links”) it was described that “…public gatherings and visiting hospitals and long-term care facilities can pose a public health threat due to the probability for the transmission of 2019-Novel Coronavirus which has been designated as an emerging communicable disease..”